Psaki told reporters at an afternoon briefing that the extra time will allow for more White House negotiations with congressional Republicans and Democrats, particularly since the legislation does not carry the same level of urgency as the American Rescue Plan that was signed into law last month.
Still, she said Biden would like to see “progress” by the end of May.
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“The American Rescue Plan was an emergency package, we needed to get it done as quickly as possible to get the pandemic under control, to get relief, direct checks out to Americans,” Psaki said.
“We’ve got a little bit more time here to work and have discussions with members of both parties,” she continued. “We want to see progress by Memorial Day, we’d like to see this package passed by the summer. But I certainly expect when Congress returns that the president will be inviting members to the Oval Office.”
Biden says Cabinet looks like America at first meeting thehill.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thehill.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A growing number of Democrats from the nation s wealthier states, which include New York, New Jersey and Illinois, have warned that they won t support Biden s infrastructure bill without the elimination of the current cap on the federal deduction for state and local taxes, known as SALT.
Pelosi stopped far short of drawing a red line, as those Democrats have done. But she said she s a big supporter of their position and suggested she wants to see that particular tax provision wrapped into Biden s infrastructure bill, which is expected to feature a series of tax hikes to offset the spending.
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“A Senate evenly split between both parties and a bare Democratic House majority are hardly a mandate to go it alone,’ ” Romney tweeted Thursday. “The President should live up to the bipartisanship he preached in his inaugural address.”
A Senate evenly split between both parties and a bare Democratic House majority are hardly a mandate to “go it alone.” The President should live up to the bipartisanship he preached in his inaugural address. Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) April 1, 2021
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The Senate has 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats, with Vice President Harris breaking ties, while the House only has a slight Democratic majority with 219 Democrats and 211 Republicans.
Democrats urge Biden to take executive action on assault-style firearms thehill.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thehill.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.